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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · current · date · march · drill · lie · net · jam

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. net — in sport
  4. current — of water
  5. net — for catching
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. current — electric
  10. drill — a practice
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. drill — the tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. saw — the tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com